Pi Gazing is a project to build meteor cameras using Raspberry Pi • Hacker News Board

Re: Pi Gazing is a project to build meteor cameras using Raspberry Pi

#31

Post by rapjr9 » Sun, Jun 23, 2024, 11:17 PM UTC

Looked through the Github files and I don't see anything that describes the hardware. This web page shows a picture of the insides of the camera housing (click "Next" once to see the picture):

https://pigazing.dcford.org.uk/howitworks.php

The camera is a Watec 902H2 Ultimate, and the lense is one of these:

https://github.com/dcf21/pi-gazing/blob/master/configuration...

Probably the "Siemens 1/2" F1.2 4-12mm Varifocal Auto Iris C Mount CCTV Lens" since the AutoIris port on the camera is connected to the lense in the picture. The video capture is an Easier CAP USB capture device, like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/355668644499

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32832474454.html

The Pi is a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B according to the text but the photo caption says it's a Pi Mk 3, maybe either will work. It has a Pi Hat adapter board on the top (POE plugs into it and it seems to have a relay that connects to the camera, maybe to control power to the camera). The camera outdoor housing is made by Genie, looks like a TPH-2000, no longer made, runs on 240V and has a heater:

https://www.citysecuritysystems.co.uk/genie-tph-2000-230v

In the picture, maybe that's the heater board underneath the camera?

Re: Pi Gazing is a project to build meteor cameras using Raspberry Pi

#32

Post by dylan604 » Mon, Jun 24, 2024, 3:25 PM UTC

scrps wrote: post #15

dylan604 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I feel like RPis are overkill I feel this way about most uses of RPis, but if it makes it more accessible and easier to use without the limitations of esp32 type boards then at least people are playing with things. However, from TFA: "The Raspberry Pi computer analyses the video feed in real time to search for moving objects, "

Ah, I did miss that in the article! I see the accessibility angle though I suppose if someone made a turn-key esp32-based sky tracker that might help get them adopted, save people money, and free up their pi.

Exactly what advantage would an esp32 based system have that you think it would cause it to be adopted that this current system would not?

Re: Pi Gazing is a project to build meteor cameras using Raspberry Pi

#33

Post by rtkwe » Mon, Jun 24, 2024, 5:54 PM UTC

tonetegeatinst wrote: post #10

Could this be used to track sattelites of space debris? You might need to be imaging in a different wavelength....I'm unsure how this would be done.

Most satellites and debris don't reflect that much light, plus there's already pretty extensive tracking of any object up there above a certain size by the USSF (formerly USAF) spacefence.